TV News

Calling All Teens! Demi Lovato Nears ‘X Factor’ Deal

By:
Kelly Schremph

May 02, 2012 | 8:41am EDT

As the countdown to the second season of The X Factor continues, so does the search for its fourth and final judge. According to The Hollywood Reporter pop star Demi Lovato is looking to close a deal with the show and join reported judge Britney Spears in the seats vacated by Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul after the first season ended. And while no official deal has been made yet, sources say Lovato's team is in final negotiations for the job.

Of course, we've heard this story a million times before as for who's being considered to sit alongside the likes of Simon Cowell and LA Reid, so let's not hold our breaths. But adding the 19-year-old star to the judges' line up would definitely be helpful in garnering that younger demographic Cowell is clearly targeting. After all, she's young, she's attractive; plus her dedicated fans (including her 6,737,870 and counting Twitter followers) would probably jump at the chance of seeing how the singer would handle a battle of wits against Cowell and his V-necks. Not to mention, Lovato's a bit of a wild card (see: her previous stints in rehab), so even non-fans who've only just heard of her could tune in just for curiosity's sake.

Indeed, Lovato would be an understandable draw for the network, however, the show might surprisingly fare well in overall ratings by taking on a no-name with a great personality. Think of how little you knew of Simon Cowell before his blatantly crude demeanor graced American Idol's judging panel. People would tune in just to watch him bash all the contestants — and he didn't need star power to do it. He made his own fame.

I say, let Idol and The Voice have their star-filled judging panels. X Factor should take a page out of their own title and do something X-treme liking finding audiences someone new to love. And if the personality is unique enough, the ratings should skyrocket. Come on, Simon — take a risk.

But whatever their decision is, it had better be decided soon. X Factor auditions are scheduled to begin at the end of the month.